Visual runway locator system



1950 R. B. WHITAKER VISUAL RUNWAY LOCATOR SYSTEM Filed July 2, 1947 [111 671 for" Roger 3.14/12 i f'alier z i w Patented Feb. 14, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT:

VISUAL RUNWAY LOGATOR SYSTEM Roger B. Whitaker, Miami Springs Fla.

Application July 2, 1947, fierlal No. 758,637

4 Claims. (Cl. I'VE-3, ,2)

The present. invention relates to a lighting system, which is supplementary or auxiliary to the present airport lighting methods. It is intended to aid a pilot to aline his aircraft in landing on the desired runway. after his. arrival over the airport, resulting from information over radio or by other navigation means.

My system provides a standard and universal means, whereby a pilot may orientate himself over an airport event under poor visibility, so that he may circle the field until hehas found the most favorable runway for landing.

This problem has become of increasing importance with the use of the modern, very fast, and very heavy aircraft.

In addition, this system provides by means of the altitude lights, also information to a pilot as regards the height of nearby obstructions which should be avoided.

The main feature of this system resides in the provision of a circle of additional lights centered around an airport, with colored approach lights at the ends of each runway. The diameter of this circle is approximatel three miles or within the turning radius of a modern transport plane.

Outside of this circle the altitude lights are located at frequent intervals. These altitude lights are arranged in clusters of two or more lights, of which each indicates 100 feet, so that three lights mean 300 feet, five lights mean 500 feet heights of a nearby obstruction.

These and other features and advantages of this invention will be understood from the subjoined description with the :aid of the attached drawing.

In Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing is shown a diagram of the visual locator system of runways for landing at a modern airport.

Figure 2 is a conventional showing of the coloring of the different lights used.

In the diagram two runways A and B intersect as usual as at H] of the landing field and a third runway C runs diagonally to the other two, at the same point H3. These runways are marked by border lights in the customary manner. A short distance down the diagonal runway is located the true center point 9, from which a circle outlined at about three miles diameter and marked by white lights l2, here indicated by double rings,

which must have mist penetrating power and distinguish from the other thousands of lights in the same area. They must be visible 360 degrees above the horizon, which necessitates in most cases their mounting on pilons. They shall be spaced equally apart 1000 feet to 1 500 feet. In

heavily lighted areas they must be. flashing so that they can be readily discernible and. have sufiicient brilliancy. to give maximum rangeunder adverse conditions.

From this circle of lights, approach lights l3 curve inwardly into the ends of the straight rune ways A, B and C. These approach lights |3 shall be green, but are otherwise of the same specificae tion as the circle lights l2 and must be so wired that onlythe left approach and-take off lights for each runway direction can be turned on at one time.

The altitude lights l4 shall be red and of somewhat less power than the circle lights, but sufflcient to be plainly visible. They are arranged in small groups or clusters of one or more lights, the number of which is meant to indicate the altitude at the ratio of one light for each one hundred feet. Thus a group or cluster of five lights will indicate a nearby obstacle of five hundred feet and so forth.

Direction for operation:

The circle lights l2 and altitude lights l4 shall be turned on anytime the airport is open, day or night, when the visibility is less than three miles. The controller at the airport turns on only the green, left approach lights I3 for the runway A or B or C which he desires the incoming pilot to use. For a departing plane he turns on the right exit lights ll which are red for the corresponding runway.

After the incoming pilot has arrived over the airport, he should circle to the left while maintaining visual contact with the white circle lights l2 and the red safe altitude lights I4, until he arrives over the green approach lights l3, which have been turned on for him and which he will follow onto the particular runway aided by the runway lights.

There are several methods of locating an airport and for alining an aircraft with a certain runway at the field, but the fact remains, that the quicker the pilot becomes orientated by virtual contact with his airport, the safer his landing will be.

With my visual runway locator system and the green approach lights to lead him onto the desired runway as well as the altitude lights M to indicate his minimum altitude, he can land safely even in very poor weather.

In addition, if a pilot should encounter difficulties during landing he can follow the circle light around several times to find another runway without having to go thru a lengthy orientation, which may be impossible under emergency conditions.

In general, my runway locator system provides standard landmarks, that will enable a pilot to fly in or out of an airport, so equipped, in bad weather, with a greater degree of safety, than he could at an airport not so equipped, but with which he has been morefamiliar.

It is to be understood that the invention as herein disclosed may be varied from the details described and shown without departure from the spirit of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with an airport lighting system including illuminated runways, of a visual system comprising an enclosure of visual markers around the runways and visually marked approach paths curving inwardly from the enclosure markers and straightening out to a straight line paralleling and leading into the ends of said runways.

2. The combination with an airport lighting system including illuminated runways, of a visual system comprising an enclosure of visual markers around the runways and visually marked pairs of approach paths at the ends of the runways, said paths of each pair curving inwardly from the enclosing markers in convergent relation and then straightening out to parallel relation and continuing toward and in parallel relation with and leading into the end of the runway.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 2 4 wherein said paths are defined by lights and one path of lights of each pair is of different color from the adjacent path to designate approach and departure paths.

4. The combination with an airport lighting system including illuminated runways, of a visual locator system comprising a visually marked circle around the runways having a diameter Within the turning radius of the aircraft using the airport, visual markers within the area defined by said circle and arranged to form approach paths which at their outer ends curve inwardly from the circle of visual markers to a line parallel with and approaching the ends of the runways.

ROGER B. WHITAKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,601,766 Peter Oct. 5, 1926 1,850,490 Bahl Mar. 22, 1932 1,998,429 Andre Apr. 23, 1935 2,296,936 Logan et al. Sept. 29, 1942 2,350,407 McDowell June 6, 1944 OTHER REFERENCES A. E. (3., German publication, pp. 245-246, 257-260, November/December 1940. 

